


Prompt: Hurt/Comfort

by All_The_Monsters



Series: August Writing Challenge 2019 [2]
Category: Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: F/M, Frostbite, Gleb's worried, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, sick anya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 14:23:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20083669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_The_Monsters/pseuds/All_The_Monsters
Summary: “Anya?” Gleb asked, uncertain of whether or not he was indeed looking at her or a ghost from long ago.“Gleb,” her voice came out meek and quiet as she shuddered on the stoop. Quickly remembering himself Gleb stepped aside and held the door open for her, inviting Anya in. Wordlessly Anya stepped inside and Gleb moved to close the door after leaning out and looking around the deserted street. Turning, Gleb reached out and took the sopping coat from Anya’s shoulders.





	Prompt: Hurt/Comfort

The sun had long set and the hands on the clock were nearing the eleven o'clock hour when Gleb heard the fervent knocking on the door to his small flat. Brows knit, he called out he was on his way and pulled open the door cautiously, hand carefully hidden behind the wood of the door, reaching for the baton kept behind it, however his hand froze and his eyebrows shot up when he came face to face with the person on the other side of the door. There stood Anya, completely soaked with her hair hanging his strands around her face, wet clothes, clutching and even wetter coat around her shoulders, blue lipped and shivering, letting out a trail of fog into the cold night air.   
  
"Anya?" Gleb asked, uncertain of whether or not he was indeed looking at her or a ghost from long ago.   
  
"Gleb," her voice came out meek and quiet as she shuddered on the stoop. Quickly remembering himself Gleb stepped aside and held the door open for her, inviting Anya in. Wordlessly Anya stepped inside and Gleb moved to close the door after leaning out and looking around the deserted street. Turning, Gleb reached out and took the sopping coat from Anya's shoulders.   
  
"I'm sorry," Anya said as she noticed the growing puddle where she stood.   
  
"Wait here," Gleb instructed before disappearing around a corner and returning shortly with a towel in hand. Anya gratefully accepted the towel and wrapped it around her shoulders, allowing Gleb to steer her towards the dying coals nestled inside the old stove in the corner. Still shivering Anya sat down in an offered chair and watched as Gleb knelt down to stoke the fire, adding a couple of logs.   
  
"I'm sorry to disturb you." Anya apologized for the second time that night.   
  
"It's no problem, what are friends for?" Gleb gave her a small, lopsided smile as he rose to his feet once more, and though his words reminded her of their meeting in the government offices, his smile chased away the cold, fearful feeling she'd felt the first time he'd uttered them. "Wait here, I'll find you something dry to wear." With that Gleb disappeared to somewhere else in the small flat and Anya moved to the edge of her seat, reaching out her hands to warm her numb fingers. As her fingertips slowly turned from white to red Anya noted the stinging sensation and the feeling of pins and needles and flexed them carefully.   
  
"Here," Anya looked away from her hands as Gleb approached again, this time holding a bundle of clothes, "this was all I could find."   
  
"Thank you." Anya took the clothes as he held them out and stood.   
  
"There's a washroom around the corner and to the right," Gleb informed her, and Anya nodded her thanks before heading in the direction of the aforementioned washroom. Closing the door behind her, Anya stepped out of her nearly stiff wool skirt and peeled the her blouse away from where it clung to her goose fleshed skin before redressing herself in what appeared to be one of Gleb's Henley shirts and a pair of too big pajama pants. After cinching the waist of the pants tight with the draw-string Anya stepped out of the bathroom and back towards the warm stove.   
  
As she sat a blanket was imediantly draped around her shoulders in place of a tower and a cup of steaming tea was pushed into her hands. Taking a sip, Anya allowed the drink to thaw her from the inside out.   
  
"What happened, Anya?" Gleb asked, concern painted over his features as he pulled a chair up and sat down in the chair next to her.   
  
"There was a disagreement." Anya gave the short version of what had happened.   
  
"With whom?" It seemed Gleb wanted the long version.   
  
"...My roommates?" Anya didn't know any other way to put it.   
  
"What happened?" Gleb pressed further.   
  
"I refused to join in on their nightly escapades with them. Well, a couple of them took a problem with my 'pride', saying I was no better than any one of them, and that all my acting 'high and mighty' was just plain irritating." Anya tried to explain.   
  
"Why were you wet?" Gleb cocked his head.   
  
"They pushed me in the river." At this Anya's eyes almost appeared to glaze over as she stared off into the distance. "They threw him into the river too..."   
  
"Anya? Who did they throw into the river?" Gleb reached out and touched her hand.   
  
"I don't know." Anya muttered, looking down and Gleb followed her gaze to her hand, and was about to remove his hand when he noticed the appearance of her fingertips.   
  
"Anya, you didn't tell me you had frostbite." Gleb admonished as he took her hands in his own and blew on them, rubbing her frozen fingertips, between his own warm ones.   
  
"Oh." Was all she seemed to be able to say, still in a daze.   
  
"Why was he through into the river?" Gleb didn't know why he asked the question as he warmed her hands between his own, knowing full well that the women in front of him held no memories of her past. Perhaps it was to chase whatever memory she recalled when telling him how her roomates threw her into the river.   
  
"They hated him." Was all Anya said, the words hanging in the silent air for a moment, before adding, "That's what Mama told us. They hated him and were terribly jealous." Gleb looked up at Anya, as her face went from flushed to deathly pale, as it had been moments ago on the front stoop, only now something except for the cold had brought it on, and for a second Anya looked as it she might be sick. The moment passed and Gleb watched almost astonished as Anya relaxed almost completely back into her chair.   
  
"Anya?" Gleb asked, catching her attention again.   
  
"Hmm?" Anya looked at him again, eyes focused once more.   
  
"You did it again," Gleb referred to the episode he'd just witnessed, looking back to her frostbitten hands.   
  
"Oh..." Anya blinked. "What did I remember?"   
  
Gleb met her confused gaze again, about to repeat what she'd said before stopping short, not wanting to upset her in the already delicate state she was in.   
  
"Nothing, it was nothing." Gleb tried to assure her.   
  
"Gleb?" Anya asked and he knew she knew he was hiding something.   
  
"I'll tell you later." Gleb shook his head.   
  
"Was it bad?" Anya's eyes became wide.   
  
"No, not necessarily, I promise I'll tell you in the morning, once you've warmed up and slept. You can have my bed for the night." Gleb released her hands and stood, taking the now empty mug with him.   
  
" Gleb, no, I couldn't take your bed, where will you sleep?" Anya made to stand falling after him.   
  
"It's fine Anya, the settee is comfortable enough." Gleb waved his hand.   
  
"Gleb you and I know you're both too tall to comfortably lie on the settee, if anyone should sleep on it it should be me." Anya stated firmly and Gleb could see he wasn't going to win this fight. Sighing, he relented and left to fetch some heavy blankets.  
  
When he returned a few moments later with a heavy patchwork blanket in hand, Gleb found Anya slumped forward in her chair, muttering under her breath and it took him a moment to realize she was speaking french, though the words were too quiet to hear.  
  
"Anya?" Gleb placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, too which she only responded by leaning into his touch so much that she would've completely fallen if he hadn't caught her. "Let's get you laid down so you can get some sleep," Gleb suggested and Anya only grunted her response. "common." Gleb pulled Anya up with him as he stood, holding her up as they stumbled toward the settee.  
  
Guiding her to lie down Gleb tucked the blanket around Anya, pushing her damp hair from her face and resisting the urge to press his lips to her forehead. After placing a few more logs into the stove to keep the room warmed, Gleb switched the lights off and silently wondered off to his own room for the night.  
  
When morning came it took Gleb's foggy mind a few moments to catch up with him and when he remembered the sleeping woman in the other room, Gleb figured he should at least check in on Anya. Upon seeing her Gleb's brow instantly drew with concern. Kneeling down over the still sleeping woman, he pressed the back of his hand to Anya's forehead and nearly drew it back just as quickly. Anya was practically burning. Her face was covered in a thin sheen, and her eyelashes fluttered with fevered dreams.  
  
"Anya?" Gleb placed him hand on her should and when she did not awaken Gleb repeated himself slightly louder. Still nothing changed. Worry now encompassed Gleb as he worked to remove the heavy blanket from Anya's over heated form and rolling up the sleeves of the over sized shirt she wore in an attempt to cool her off. The only thing that changed was the shivers that now wracked her form. Not knowing what else to do Gleb lifted Anya into his arms, his heart leaping slightly when Anya stirred, and carried her into the washroom, setting Anya down into the tub still in her borrowed clothing. As Gleb turned to turn on the tap, Anya moaned before her shivering doubled as the cool water reached her. Gasping, Anya began to struggle to escape the cold water flooding into the tub.  
  
"Anya, no, you need to stay, we have to get your fever down." Gleb tried to soothe her.  
  
"Please...." Anya reached out to clutch at Gleb's arms.  
  
"I'm sorry." Gleb pushed her back down when she tried to climb out of the tub again, hating the why Anya keened out in misery at being surrounded by the cold.  
  
After what must've felt like hours to Anya Gleb reached forward and emptied the tub before pulling her out. Setting Anya down onto the floor Gleb knelt to help Anya into some dry clothing doing his best to respect her privacy. Once Anya was redressed again she leaned forward and wrapped herself around Gleb, burying her face into his neck. Though the cold water had helped to reduce her fever, Gleb could still feel the heat radiating off of her. As he wrapped his arms around the distressed girl clinging to him it took Gleb a moment to realize she was crying.  
  
"Anya? What's wrong?" Gleb whispered softly, fearing she might be suffering from a headache.  
  
"I wan' mmm." Anya mumbled.  
  
"What?" Gleb asked for clarification.  
  
"I want Mama." Anya cried harder. Not knowing what to say, Gleb settled for wiping away Anya's tears with the pads of his thumbs. Silently, Gleb lifted Anya up and carried her out of the washroom and down the short hall to lay her down into the bed, knowing full well Anya was in no state to fight him on this.  
  
Anya shivered again when her body was laid onto the cool blankets, and Gleb, deeming her fever was low enough, pulled a light blanket over her before disappearing again only to reappear once more to drape a cold cloth over her head.  
  
Anya came to a few hours later to a garbled noise, almost as if she was hearing it through water. Voices. It slowly dawned on her that the sound she was hearing was voices. Opening her eyes Anya could make out several blurred figures standing above her.  
  
"Look at her, Nikki, she's properly miserable." A woman's voice came from beside her and Anya swore she could almost feel the hand that brushed across her forehead.  
  
"She's strong, Alix, she'll come through, you'll see." Another voice came from Anya's other side.  
  
"Mmmmm...Mama? Papa?" Anya whispered.  
  
"Shhhhh, save your strength, sister," someone spoke from near the end of the bed, "rest." Looking down Anya could barely make out three girls and a young boy hovering worriedly around the foot of the bed.  
  
"Yes," the woman agreed, "sleep now. You're safe. We'll watch over you and your soldier will keep you safe." Before Anya could argue that Gleb wasn't her soldier she was already slipping back into the inviting warmth of sleep  
  
When Anya awoke again it was to a harsh golden light seeping in through a crack in the curtain, causing her head to burst with pain. Groaning, Anya was thankful to the figure that moved quickly, closing the curtains fully before approaching the bedside once more.  
  
"Anya?" The figure spoke softly, kneeling down and pressing the back of his hand to her hairline.  
  
"Gleb?" Anya rapped out, hating the way her voice grated her dry throat.  
  
"Here," Gleb moved his arm beneath Anya's shoulders and helped her to sit up before pressing a glass of water to her lips. "How do you feel?" Gleb asked as soon as Anya finished the water.  
  
"Like I've been hit by a train." Anya groaned out, allowing her head to roll to the side and into the crook of Gleb's shoulder.  
  
"I don't doubt it." Gleb brushed his fingers through Anya's hair. "You've been in and out of consciousness since yesterday morning."  
Anya's heart stopped at this. She'd missed a full day of work without permission. Somehow though, she couldn't bring herself to care much, she was content to stay buried in Gleb's side as long as he allowed it.  
Distantly Anya recalled the familiar ghostly figures that so often haunted her nightmares but had somehow been a source of comfort in her fever induced restlessness.  
  
'Your soldier will keep you safe.'  
  
The words somehow felt like a blessing to Anya as she rested against Gleb. Whomever the foggy figures were, someone from her past life trusted Gleb to watch over her, and Anya couldn't argue the feeling of safety that overcame her as Gleb held her tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave and questions, comments, concerns, and or interpretive dances in the comment section below!


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